1. Field of the Invention.
The present invention relates generally to egg processing equipment and in particular to a mechanism for separating the yolk and albumen contents of an egg.
2. Description of the Relevant Art.
Eggs are used in commercial quantities as ingredients in food and other products. Generally, three distinct types of egg products are in large demand: 1) egg yolks, which generally command the highest price; 2) albumen or egg white; and 3) whole egg comprising both yolk and albumen. Automated machines have heretofore been devised for the high-speed processing of eggs in commercial quantities.
Two such machines are disclosed in my prior U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,480,056 and 4,321,864. Both of these machines include egg breaking and contents separating assemblies linked together to form endless conveyor chain assemblies driven around sprockets in horizontal, generally triangular travel paths. Each egg cracking and separating assembly is adapted to receive an egg and perform various processing functions at operational stations along its travel path. Specifically, the operational functions include receiving and cradling an egg with its longitudinal axis parallel to the travel path, cracking the eggshell, separating the cracked eggshell halves, dumping the egg contents into a separating mechanism, separating the yolk and albumen contents, and discharging the yolk and albumen into separate receptacles. Along the conveyor paths of travel there are stations at which defective and whole egg (i.e. broken yolk) contents can be detected and discharged, and stations at which the separating mechanisms are washed.
Ideally, egg processing equipment should be highly efficient in operation, capable of a relatively high throughput rate, and designed to minimize yolk breakage. Another objective of egg processing equipment is to achieve the greatest possible degree of separation between the yolk and albumen egg contents. The price of bulk egg yolk is generally based on its solids content, with the maximum theoretical solids content being about 48% to 49%. Bulk egg yolk comprising 435 solids is generally commercially acceptable. However, bulk egg yolk with higher solids content percentages normally brings a higher price. The solids content of processed, bulk egg yolk differs from the theoretical solids content limits because of the small amounts of albumen which are left clinging to the egg yolks after the separation process.
A drainage slot designed specifically to maximize yolk/albumen separation is provided in the yolk bowl of the separating mechanism shown in my U.S. Pat. No. 4,111,111. My aforementioned Willsey U.S. Pat. No. 4,321,864 discloses yet another configuration for a yolk bowl with a slot formation and an additional aperture for discharging the albumen. While all of the separating mechanisms disclosed in my aforementioned previous patents have achieved a degree of success in separating yolk and albumen egg contents, none provides the advantages and features of the egg contents separating mechanism of the present invention.